thank you...

... for mothers and mother figure in the world. for your love has been received and understood.

happy mothers day.

a bit of red a bit of blue

i'm ready to move on from christmas reds to winter blues right now. and lately, i'm attracted brighter non pastel colors.

image credits: top: heart by ban.do, middle: work by anu tuominen found via here. bottom: mandala series by studio MIKMIK, can be purchased here.

christmas and things

some of my fav things for xmas:

1. ornaments.

2. cookies. while i do make cookies from time to time, but i love them specially from this store.

3. mittens and gloves.

4. last but not least... of course, charlie brown.

image is from my wedding album taken by this talented photographer.

happy friday!

and we're thankful.

the holiday season is here. eventhough it feels like it's been here since september, but now this is the time. to start things up, it's time for home made yumminess. if you're not the kind who makes things at home, some delivery can be as good.

here's a little lists of things i'm thankful for:
1. the young studio store and shop  (and all the people who has helped to make this happen)
2. chilly beautiful weather
3. the smell of pumpkin
4. holiday teas
5. and most of all, i'm thankful for my family.

this will be the only post this week.
hopefully i'll be able post new items (that should come in soon) next week.

stay warm!

date and time

It's been a while since I talked about the development of the studio and the shop. I just feel like I've been playing catch up all this time, and it doesn't help with the sudden surge of the projects that come my way as well as the ones that I'd like to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm perfectly still. It's important to look back once in a while to see the accomplishments that one have achieved and not take them for granted, no matter how small it is! While it's easier to appreciate when the products are selling like hot cakes, however, there are things as important, like more people favored your store at Etsy, or more fans at the facebook page, or how much compliments you receive on the products, and interests in your products and store in general. All of these non-monetary things can lead to better branding, and more interest in what you do, which eventually will lead to hot cakes moment, that's hopefully everlasting.

The holidays is coming soon. For some, it's as exhausting as any process can be. But this time can also be used to reflect how much accomplishments have been made, and just be amazed with yourself.

Once again, with style and courage, lets brace the holidays and move forward to the next year.

^^

taking a break

hello all! i've been a bit overwhelmed with the seemingly endless of to do lists, from coming out with the new line for fall to finish my site, i have neglected this blog. so i decided to take a break in the next 4 weeks from blogging to reorganize myself, and set up a better time line for my blog. i want to rethink what type of articles I want to write for the blog so it ties in with the brand i'm trying to build.

in the mean time, enjoy the double chocolate pear cake to mark the autumn.

thanks

-sharon

thinking about products

product maker can be found here. and here is where i get the info.

it's been a while since i'm blogging about the progress i've made with the studio. the reason for that is seemingly there's been very little of it. there are a couple of products i've added to my collection i've launched, while at the back end if things, i've experimented with different products possibilities, thought myself to sew, thinking about style, brand and packaging, setting up site, and the list goes on. within this list, my products have been in my mind a lot. the questions are about its goodness, its function and its contribution.

paper printing world has been what i believe a shrinking world, and now print designer become survival of the fittest. i guess in design world (or any world for that matter) has always been so. this the reason for my desire to create well thought out products for my next big launch. in the world of things and items, i'd like to contribute a better products. this means slower products launch, and may be a slow studio growth a the beginning. the product above is a perfect example of a well thought out product, not to mention it's eco friendly (bamboo based material that's reusable in a country where wooden chopsticks are constantly thrown out). i'd love to be able to create something that has that many layers like this example.

so in the meantime, i'll keep push through the mental and other hurdles.

because it's a good thing to do.

images are taken from: 1. stella mccartney's lingerie. 2. eco kate flowers makeup removal cloths.

3. 100% recycled 80% post consumer toilet paper from seventh generation. 4. method multipurpose cleaning product.

5. digitally printed thank you card by 175 design studio.

at the studio's conception, i always imagine that this is where the customer can find designer items that are produced with the consideration of the environment and surroundings. i didn't know what type of products will come out of this studio, but i know how i want to produce them. this is probably influenced by the green movement that's well and alive now. however, like any other movements, green movement has its own limitations. also, now with big companies now throwing "green" on their products, it's easy to be confused and distrusting with the word "green", "organic", and "sustainable". on top of that, there are so many organizations to certify green and sustainable things, it's hard to differentiate which organizations that are valid.

while these are my concerns, still there are reasons to support the movement. my best reasoning is: it's a good thing to do. in order for this movement to be successful, i believe in 2 things: consumer spending power, it can force big companies to be more conscious. secondly, it's also the supplier job to provide an easier access for these consumers to be able to get to the products. with more consumer opt to buy these type of products, the more option out there will be.

these believes drive my decisions how the products that come out of the studio will be. many of the products that the studio produces are if not using recycled paper, it's done with the most sustainable option out there with the resources i have. constantly i'm looking out for better way to produce, but the basic principle is still the same: as considerate as possible to the environment, as socially conscious as possible to the human labor while still having the highest quality possible. it's not easy, but i do encourage all the entrepreneurs / artists / designers out there to do so.

at the end, each and everyone of us has the power to decide how the market place will look like in the future.

^^

-sharon

happy friday!

top: preview of my illustrations for summer cards. 

bottom: grandma's apple tartelettes photo taken from  tartelette.

happy friday! i'm taking a week off this coming week for 2 reasons, national stationery show in new york to hopefully find items to round up my collections, and separate myself from the day to day grind. hopefully this trip can refresh me so i can come back charged! with that i leave you with the preview of my work. it's the sketch illustrations for social cards inspired by summer. also, a great apple tartelette recipe from this blog that i look at not only for the recipes but also the beautifully taken photos.

touch of [white]

the reason i love print is because i'm able to touch it. while gadgets interest me, i think i'll have a hard time replacing books with a reader. i will miss things like the way paper make a sound when flipped, or the look of ink on paper, or the weight of a book. and these senses for me is heightened when things are done by white on white.

it's been quite sometime that i'm obsessed with white on white. always love it. this combination intrigues me. the 'void' of color (white is a color, but for print, white is not color since it's usually meant the paper's color unless it's a reverse color or print on a color paper using white ink... but i digress) can be replaced with texture. it's interactive, because the void of color creating a prominent texture.  

wall pop by Genevieve Bennett

image taken via The Urban Lifestyle blog

there might be not too many things that are done this way, and i had a hard time finding it today. however, these 2 examples above express what i love about this combination. the way it plays with light (for wall pop) and the use of different 'white' creating a very warm feeling (the room). i'd love to have rooms like that at home, but being accident prone, i don't think it's a good idea. ^^

++sharon++

my studio

Philippe Stark once said in TED Design conference, "Nobody is obliged to be genius, but everyone is obliged to participate." (*this may not be the exact quote, but he said something to this effect*)

With that quote, I started my studio. The photo above is the corner where everything happens for the studio. I have plenty of hopes and dreams on this corner, not only for my studio, but also for my craft. While everyone is doing their best to participate in their world, I'm hoping from this humble beginning to be able to participate fully in the world of design.

++sharon++